Padded safety device for individual crib slats

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a safety device used in an infant crib or playpen to protect its occupant from the individual hard (typically) wood vertical support posts (i.e., slats). A padded cushion is fastened around the entire crib slat, and has a solid, vertical support piece which is used to stabilize the pad in an upright, fixed position at all times. The safety support piece (i.e. stabilizing object) prevents an infant or toddler from pushing down on the pad and using it as a step to climb out of the crib.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Parents and guardians of infants and toddlers spend most of their timeprotecting their young from danger. A newborn could choke on its vomit;an infant could roll off a bed during a diaper change; and a toddlercould accidentally run through a set of glass doors, if not properlysupervised. It is virtually impossible to watch a child 24 hours a day,seven days a week. Whether left alone to play in the crib, take a nap,or sleep during the night, a child is never more unsupervised than thetime spent in the crib. According to safety experts, most accidentsoccur in the crib because children are left alone for long periods oftime. Because the structure of a crib appears to be a safe place toleave a child, parents and guardians often have a false sense ofsecurity. They place a bumper pad inside the crib to help cushioninevitable falls, only to remove it when the infant is able to sit upunassisted (around 6-9 months). An infant at this stage could easilypush down on the pillow-like pad and use it as a step to climb out ofthe crib. Once the bumper pad is removed, the crib slats are leftunprotected, and so is the occupant inside. The present inventionovercomes this safety issue; it can be used in the crib from the timethe baby is born, until it can sleep in a regular or toddler bed(usually around 2-3 years of age). Unlike a conventional bumper pad, thepresent invention is a padded safety device that is affixed around theindividual vertical supports of a crib, and includes an object thatstabilizes the pad in a fixed, vertical position so it may not be pusheddown and used as a step.

While researching for prior art similar to the present invention, aproduct with U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,071 was discovered, herein known as the“prior art”, which is a comparative product to protect infants andtoddlers from injuring themselves on the material that comprise a cribor playpen, after the bumper pad is removed. A crib or playpen istypically described as made of wood, with four sides comprised of twoparallel horizontal railings, with individual vertical supports, hereinknown as, “crib slats”, connected between them. The crib slats areusually rectangular in shape, four-sided, approximately 1 to 1½ incheswide, ½ inch thick, spaced approximately 2⅜ inches apart, and are about26 inches high, depending on the style and type of crib. There are anestimated 50 slats that comprise a typical crib, again, depending on thestyle and type of crib (see FIG. 5 for a drawing of a typical crib). Thecrib typically has a horizontal spring that supports the crib mattress.According to safety experts, the mattress should have no more than anapproximate gap of 1½ inches (a “two finger” width) between the mattressand the crib slat. A gap larger than this presents a safety hazard ofchild entrapment and suffocation. Padding inside the crib is necessaryto prevent an infant or toddler from injuring themselves when they comein contact with the hard crib slats.

The prior art describes in its “Background of the Invention” section thedisadvantages of the commonly used crib bumper pad. To summarize, bumperpads are a cushioned material, similar to a pillow, that encompass theentire inside perimeter of a crib, widely used and accepted by parentsand guardians to protect their child from injury in case the child wouldfall against the hard, wooden slats. Bumper pads are usually about onefoot high, normally are of one piece, and are typically fastened bystrings tied around the crib slats. The disadvantages of bumper padsinclude: (1) the inability of a parent or guardian to view a child whilethe child is lying in the crib, unless the parent or guardian isstanding next to the crib and views the child from the top of the criband looks down; (2) an infant, while lying in the crib, is unable toview its outer world; (3) bumper pads offer the ability of an olderinfant to use it as a step to climb out of the crib (the potential forinjury is limitless in this case); (4) are difficult to use whenlowering the side rail of a crib to reach a child (because the bumperpad is tied to the crib slat, it moves with the slat and does not stayin one place), and (5) due to the raising and lowering of the crib rail,the ties may become loose, and potentially allow for the bumper pad tofall onto an infant who may not have the strength to push it off, thuscreating a suffocation hazard. Because of the safety issues mentionedabove, bumper pads are typically removed when an infant can sit up orstand by him or herself.

Bumper pads or padding of some form, however, are a basic necessity toprotect mobile infants or toddlers from injuring themselves on the cribslats. The next step to improve upon the bumper pad is to have aninvention similar to the prior art. The prior art describes a pad thatcovers most of the vertical length of each individual crib slat, and ispadded on 1 to 3 sides. The cover is comprised of either vinyl or some“flexible material” (see prior art's “Summary of Invention” section),and is filled with a “cushioning material” (see prior art's “Summary ofInvention” section). The advantages of this include: (1) the parent orguardian can now view their child through the slats in the crib; (2) thechild can see the “outer world”; and (3) the padding should protect theinfant from injury.

While there are many advantages of a slat pad over a bumper pad, thereare still disadvantages to the prior arts' design. The prior art hasdisadvantages that could ultimately cause severe injury for infants andtoddlers. Disadvantages include:

1) The prior art has padding only on one to three sides, and none on theexterior of the crib slat. This is a disadvantage because in theeveryday usage of the crib, the product could potentially turn, thusleaving the interior of the slats exposed to the side of the productthat does not have the padding. This could lead to injury of the childinside, if the interior slat is left unprotected.

2) The prior art drawing of the product (see its drawings, FIG. 1) showsthe cover is fastened on the right-hand side of the pad. This wouldallow for the right side of the pad to be wider, and stick out further,than the left side. Due to this disadvantage, the aesthetic appearanceof the pad and crib slat would be affected. It also may not leave enoughroom between the next slat to the right to view the baby.

3) The prior art product appears to be pre-formed (or pre-molded), (seedrawing of the prior art, FIG. 1), is of one shape, and has a slit thatopens when placed onto the crib slat, which may cause the inability tofit onto crib slats of different sizes.

4) The prior art does not cover the crib slat below the mattress (seeprior art drawing, FIG. 3); the prior art states in the “DetailedDescription” section that, “The length of the pad is identical to thelength of the crib balusters down to but not below the crib mattress(viz. 18″-20″)”. This is a disadvantage because, even though the priorart is tapered at the bottom, over time and usage, it may slip below themattress, thus leaving an upper area of the hard, wood slat exposed tothe crib slat itself, and causing possible injury to a child, ifimpacted. This is especially true for the side of the crib that featuresthe crib railing that raises and lowers, and is used many times during atypical day. In both cases, the pad could potentially slip downunderneath the mattress on any side of the crib, and create theopportunity for an enterprising infant or toddler to use it as a step toclimb out of the crib, which could cause serious injury.

4A) Crib safety experts recommend that the space between the mattressand crib not be larger than approximately 1½″, or the width of twoaverage fingers. Because the present invention is placed around the cribslat to include this space, it adds an element of safety that the priorart does not have.

5) The pads used in the prior art may be tapered to provide more paddingtoward the center of the crib slat, thus leaving the rest of the slatnot as padded, and could injure a child more if they come in contactwith the slat near its less padded top or bottom.

6) The most compelling disadvantage of the prior art is its inability toremain in a fixed vertical position if it incurs a force from the top,such as a child pushing down on it. The prior art states that its pad isplaced around the crib slat and may be fastened by VELCRO™, a zipper,button, snap, or any other object that falls within the scope of theinvention. It also states in the “Detailed Definition” section, that“Instead of a plastic, the pad exterior (i.e., pad cover or lining) maycomprise cloth (preferably composed of synthetic fibers which are easyto clean, dry and maintain), or rubber, with or without additional(spongy) impact-absorbing batting placed within.” With these materialscomprising the pad of the prior art, an enterprising infant or toddlercould push the pad halfway down and use it as a step to climb out of thecrib. Again, like the bumper pad, the potential for injury is limitless.

6A) Another disadvantage similar to #6 is in regard for the pads whichare used only on one to three sides, and are affixed only with VELCRO™.The possibility exists for an enterprising infant or toddler to pushdown on the pad and pull it off completely as it overcomes theadhesiveness of the fastener. The child may injure itself in the cribeither with the broken/detached pad, or may use it to step out of thecrib, again, injuring itself in numerable ways.

6B) When the prior art is used as a pad for only the interior side ofthe crib slat, or its interior plus the left and right sides, it showsin its drawings the use of adhesive VELCRO™ alone to adhere the pad tothe crib slat. This is a disadvantage because the VELCRO™, when removed,may remove some of the wood it had been adhered to. This could disvaluethe crib's appearance, and could pose a potential hazard (i.e., possibletoxic hazard or choking hazard) to a child if flakes of wood were tocome off into the crib.

7) The prior art states that it can be used anytime, regardless of theage of the child in the crib, from a newborn, until the child can bemoved out of the crib to a regular bed. Because of the safety issuementioned above, the prior art would have to removed from the crib whenthe child is able to sit or stand; because of its design, it representsthe same safety issues that occur with the usage of bumper pads in thecrib.

As noted above, there are many disadvantages to the prior art design.The need then arises for an improvement upon the prior art. The presentinvention will solve the problem of the prior art's ineffectiveness insafety. The present invention will show the functional and structuralchange of the prior art needed to allow a safe product to be introducedinto the market for all infants and toddlers who remain in the cribuntil they are old enough to be transferred to a regular bed or toddlerbed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of theprior art in many ways. While the concept is similar, the design andemphasis on safety is distinct. The present invention is a simple, yeteffective design; it is a rectangular, flat piece of soft material thatis unilaterally stuffed with soft, resilient material, and then wrappedaround each individual crib slat. The present invention is fastened toitself, and not the crib slat. Unlike the prior art, the presentinvention is not tapered, it covers the crib slat below the mattress, itdoes not adhere directly to the crib slat, and most importantly, itincludes an upright safety support piece to ensure the pad will remainin a fixed, vertical position. The fixed, vertical position of the padwill disallow any enterprising infant or toddler from pushing down onthe pad and using it as a step to climb out of the crib. The prior artdoes not have such device, and therefore its product could be pusheddown, causing limitless possibilities of severe injury to a child. Thedesign, minus the vertical support piece, is somewhat similar to abumper pad that is folded and fastened around the crib slat.

In a preferred embodiment, the pad on the crib slat is similar to a minibumper pad, in that it is soft on the outside, sufficiently padded onthe inside, and simple for the parent or guardian to use. The presentinvention provides a safe environment for the occupant of the crib. Thepresent invention is durable, washable, adjustable, and will protectoccupants of the crib or playpen from injury on the crib slats.

The present invention solves the disadvantages of the prior art aslisted in the “Background of the Invention” section. The advantages ofthe present invention are described below:

1) The present invention is padded on all 4 sides of a crib slat, thusentirely protecting a child from potential injury at any angle.

2) The present invention has padding of equal proportion around theslat, thus protecting the crib slat surface at all times from a childwho may fall into it. It does not protrude more in any one spot, as theprior art appears to do.

3) The present invention fills the gap that is typically void betweenthe mattress and the crib slats. The present invention extends below themattress, to reach the bottom of the crib slat and touch the horizontalrailing. Because the slat pad fills this gap, the pad cannot be movedout of place and/or pushed down any further, and thus the slat remainsprotected. As discussed earlier, the prior art does not extend below themattress, creating a safety hazard if the prior art crib pad is pushedinto this gap. The prior art pad could fall into this gap either byloosening around the slat caused by everyday use (wear-and-tear) or by achild pushing it into the gap. If the prior art is pushed into this gap,the pad is then low enough for a child to use the top portion as a stepto climb out of the crib and potentially injure itself. Also, if theprior art is pushed into this gap, the upper part of the crib slat isthen exposed and could create an injury if a child falls into it.

4) The present invention does not protrude unevenly on either side ofthe crib slat. The prior art, as it is designed in its drawing example,FIG. 1, appears to be wider on the right side of the crib slat. Thepresent invention is uniformly wrapped around the crib slat and fastenedin front of the crib slat (on the exterior of the crib).

5) The present invention is not pre-formed (i.e. rounded or curved) toautomatically fit over the crib slat. It is a rectangular, flat piece ofsoft material that is filled with soft, resilient padding, with a safetysupport device that is sewn into the product to keep the slat pad in afixed, vertical position (i.e. unbendable). The present invention has afastener that is adjustable and therefore can be easily wrapped, andeasily removed, around many variations of a crib slat, including a roundone. Because of its flexibility in design, the present invention can beused on most crib designs.

6) The present invention is wrapped around the crib slat, and adheres toitself; it does not use VELCRO™ to adhere itself directly to the cribslat, such as the prior art uses in some instances. Adhering VELCRO™ toa crib slat is a hazard due to the possibility that an enterprisinginfant or toddler could pull down the prior art product and receiveinjury due to possible wood chips in the crib, or using the pad in animproper way after it has fallen into the crib. Since the presentinvention is tightly wrapped around a crib slat, adheres to itself anduses a stabilizing object, a child will not be able to push it down,pull it off, or move it in anyway, thus solving the safety problempresented in the prior art.

7) The present invention has an advantage to the prior art because itadheres to itself, and with the use of soft material, there is nopossibility of marring or damaging the crib slat in any manner.

In regard to bumper pads, the advantages of the present invention arenumerable. The present invention is fastened more securely around thecrib slat and has a safety device to stabilize and ensure it cannot bemoved away from the crib slat or used as a step. A bumper pad istypically only tied to the crib slats, and therefore, the strings maybecome loose by continual use and wear, and allow it to be moved awayfrom the interior of the crib. A toddler could easily move a bumper padup and down the slat, leaving parts of the slat exposed. Due to theinability of a bumper pad to remain in a fixed position, and because ofits pillow-like softness, an infant could suffocate under a loosenedbumper pad, or a toddler could push the bumper down and use it as a stepto climb out of the crib, causing potential seriously injury to thechild. With the use of the present invention, the occupant of the cribis substantially safer with its design as compared to the conventionalbumper pad.

Because of the advantages listed above, the parent or guardian will bemore assured of the safety of their child during the time spent in anunsupervised crib.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is the initial piece of a rectangular, soft material that is usedfor the cover of the slat pad; shown are the various fasteners attachedbefore it is folded, padded, and finished.

FIG. 1A is a drawing of the outside cover of the slat pad.

FIG. 1B is the backside of 1A (turned over from left to right), and isthe inside cover of the slat pad; it is the side that will actuallytouch the crib slat.

FIG. 2A is a cut-away view to show a detailed view of soft resilientmaterial, i.e., padding, that comprises the inside of the slat pad. Thisis a view from the outside cover perspective.

FIG. 2B is a cut-away view to show a detailed view of the stabilizerthat is inserted in the slat pad. Again, the view is from the outsidecover perspective.

FIG. 3 is a view from the front of the present invention as a finishedproduct, and as it would appear when wrapped around a crib slat (thecrib slat is not shown).

FIG. 4A is a drawing of the outside cover of the slat pad, with elasticon the top and bottom.

FIG. 4B is a drawing of the inside cover of the slat pad, with elasticon the top and bottom.

FIG. 5 is a partial drawing of a typical crib with its side railing inthe raised position.

FIG. 5A is a partial drawing of the present invention, as it appears ona typical crib that has its side railing in the raised position.

FIG. 6 is a partial drawing of a typical crib that has its side railingin the lowered/lowest position.

FIG. 6A is a partial drawing of the present invention, as it appears ona typical crib that has its side railing in the lowered/lowest position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is designed differently than the prior art toensure it is a safe product to be used in an infant crib or playpen. Itsstructural and functional difference is utilized to create a productthat will keep a crib slat pad in a stable, fixed, vertical position,and thus create a safe environment for the crib occupant. Unlike theprior art that appears to act more like a traditional bumper pad, thepresent invention will protect a child from birth until the age it canbe moved from the crib to a regular or toddler bed.

The process of the present invention improves upon the design of theprior art in many ways, as outlined below. The present invention is moresafe and durable, plus it takes the concept of the prior art to the nextlevel in a baby proofing market that is constantly striving toward theprotection of those who cannot independently protect themselves—ourchildren. While a child sleeps, whether for a nap, or through the night,it is never more unsupervised than during the time spent in the crib. Byinventing one major structural change in the prior art, the new functionof the present invention will allow the young to be safe at anytime,while inhabiting their cribs.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the processoutlined below, as could be followed by a person of ordinary skill inthe art:

FIG. 1 depicts a cover 1, narrow fastener 2, bottom part of a snap 3, awider fastener 4, the top half of the snap 5, and elastic 6. It shows arectangular piece of a soft fabric material, such as cotton or cottonflannel that is approximately 7½ inches wide, and 55 inches long; thisis the cover 1 of the slat pad 14 (shown in FIG. 3). FIG. 1 depicts anarrow fastener 2 such as VELCRO™, approximately ¾ inch wide, and 25½inches long is sewn onto the bottom right side of the cover 1. Next, sewthe bottom part of a snap 3 an inch above the lower left hand side ofthe cover 1. Then sew the top half of the snap 5 to one end of a ½ inchwide, and 1 inch long piece of elastic 6. Next place the other end ofthe elastic 6 that does not contain the top part snap 5 on the upperleft hand side of the cover 1 where the wider fastener 4 will be sewn.The wider fastener 4, such as VELCRO™, approximately 1½ inch wide and25½ inches long, is then sewn onto the top of the elastic 6 and cover 1in the upper left outer portion of the cover 1. Fold the cover 1 over sonarrow fastener 2 and wider fastener 4 are on the inside of the cover 1(not shown in drawings); sew to create a seam on the outer edges, but donot sew where the padding 8 (as shown in FIG. 2A) will be inserted.Next, turn the cover 1 inside out, so the narrow fastener 2 and widerfastener 4 are on the outside of the cover 1 (FIG. 1). FIG. 1A depicts acover 1, narrow fastener 2, bottom part of the snap 3, top part of asnap 5, elastic 6, stitch line 7, and ‘opening’ 16. Sew through both thefront and back of the material to create a ⅝ inch margin with stitchline 7 on the left hand side; this is where the stabilizing object 9 (asshown in FIG. 2B) will be inserted. Also shown in FIG. 1A is an‘opening’ 16 that is not to be initially sewed until other materials areinserted into the cavity of the cover 1. FIG. 1A depicts the portion ofthe cover 1 which will mostly be visible around the outside of the cribslat 12 (FIG. 5A) when folded and complete; FIG. 1B, with wider fastener4, top part of the snap 5, elastic 6, stitch line 7, and ‘opening’. Whenthe top part of the snap 5 is affixed to the bottom part of the snap 3(see FIG. 3), this will keep the stabilizing object 9 (FIG. 2B) inplace, inside the cover 1. This feature allows the stabilizing object 9to be removed when the cover 1 is in need of washing. Due to the type ofmaterial used in the slat pad 14, the slat pad 14 can be cleaned in atypical washing machine with regular detergent without displacing any ofits materials. Also in a preferred embodiment is the creation of a flapfrom the cover 1 that is approximately the same width and length as theelastic 6/snap 5 feature, has the same function, but is used in itsplace. The initial measurements of the material used for the cover 1 isaltered somewhat in this instance. Similarly to FIG. 1A, FIG. 4A depictswhat the front side of the cover 1 looks like before it is folded arounda crib slat 12 (FIG. 5A). FIG. 4A illustrates the slat pad 14 with cover1, narrow fastener 2, bottom portion of snap 3, top part of snap 5,elastic 6, stitch line 7, and what the slat pad 14 looks like if longerelastic 10 is sewn at the top and bottom of the slat pad 14. Similarlyto FIG. 1B, FIG. 4B depicts what the backside of the cover 1 looks likebefore it is folded around a crib slat 12 (FIG. 5A). FIG. 48 illustratesthe slat pad 14 with cover 1, wider fastener 4, top part of snap of 5,elastic 6, stitch line 7, and what the slat pad 14 looks like withlonger elastic 10 sewn around the top and bottom of the slat pad 14.Longer elastic 10 may be used to further ensure the hold the cover 1would have against the crib slat 12 (FIG. 5) (although more foraesthetic purposes). FIG. 3 is a front view of the slat pad 14 when itis finished, folded, and in the position it will be used on the cribslat 12 (FIG. 5A). The slat pad 14 as shown in FIG. 3, is approximately2¼ inches in diameter, 25 inches long, and approximately 2 inches wide.The finished slat pad 14 is wrapped around a crib slat 12 (FIG. 5A) andfastened on the front (exterior) of the crib 15; because it is padded,it easily compresses to fit in the space between the mattress 13 andcrib 15. The front side of the cover 1 (FIG. 2B) has the stabilizingobject 9 positioned in front of the crib slat 12 (FIG. 5A) so it willnot come in contact with the baby. See FIGS. 5, 5A, 6, and 6A to view apartial drawing of a typical crib 15, with the horizontal railings 11,crib slats 12, and mattress 13. FIG. 5A depicts an example of how a fewslat pads 14 appear on a typical crib 15 with only four placed aroundfour individual crib slats 12 (the preferred embodiment would entailplacing slat pads 14 on all slats 12 on a crib 15; the total number ofcrib slats 12 needed to comprise a typical crib is not shown in thepartial drawings, 5, 5A, 6, and 6A). FIG. 6 shows a typical crib 15 withits side railing placed in the lowered position (the position used whentaking a child out of the crib 15). FIG. 6A shows the slat pad 14 placedaround four individual crib slats 12 on a crib 15 that has its siderailing down (the preferred embodiment would 16, depicts the portion ofthe cover 1 which will mostly touch the crib slat 12 (FIG. 5A) whenfolded and complete, and will not be visible from the outside of thecrib. FIG. 2A depicts a cover 1, narrow fastener 2, bottom part of thesnap 3, top part of a snap 5, elastic 6, stitch line 7, padding 8, and‘opening’ 16. Next, insert the soft, resilient material to be used aspadding 8 (typically known as ‘batting’ and typically a polyester fiber,insert two inch of batting), into the opening 16, and fill the entirecavity; now the cover 1 is padded from top to bottom, and from left toright except for where the stabilizing object 9 (as shown in FIG. 2B)will be inserted. The padding 8 compresses so the padded cover 1 isapproximately ¾ inch-1 inch in thickness after the cover 1 is sewntogether. Next, sew the bottom edge to close a portion of the “opening”,where the padding 8 was inserted, but do not sew the ⅝-inch margin wherethe stabilizing object 9 will be housed. Then insert the stabilizingobject 9 into the remaining cavity. FIG. 2B depicts a cover 1, narrowfastener 2, top part of the snap 5, elastic 6, stitch line 7, padding 8,stabilizing object 9, which comprise the entire slat pad 14. See FIGS.2A2B for a cut-away view in the lower corner that show the contents ofthe cover 1, (i.e., the padding 8, and the padding 8 plus stabilizingobject 9, respectively) if viewed from the outside portion of the cover1. FIG. 3 shows the finished slat pad 14 as it appears folded, withstitch line 7, cover 1, plus the unseen bottom part of the snap 3connected to the top part of the snap 6 and in a closed position withthe elastic 6 combination to ensure the stabilizing object 9 (FIG. 2B)will stay contained inside the cover 1 (FIG. 3).

FIG. 2B shows that the stabilizing object 9 is a crucial, necessarysafety item that will ensure the finished slat pad 14 will remain in afixed, vertical position (as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6A) that could not bepushed down by an occupant of the crib 15. If a child is able to pushdown on any crib padding, which could occur in the prior art because ofthe materials used and its construction, the child could then use it asa step to climb out of the crib, and could incur severe injury. Thestabilizing object 9 (FIG. 2B) eliminates that risk entirely. Thestabilizing object 9 is a non-protruding piece of plastic or wood, orother appropriate material, that is either round or flat, with round,smooth edges, so as not to injure a child if the instructions for theslat pad 14 are not followed properly by a parent or guardian and theslat pad 14 is turned more toward the interior of a crib; (thestabilizing object 9 is inserted inside the slat pad 14 cover 1 withthis side of the cover 1 on the exterior of the crib sat 12) (FIG. 5A).The stabilizing object 9 (FIG. 2B), if the round type is used, i.e., adowel rod, is approximately 25 inches long, {fraction (7/16)}-inch wide,and ⅜-inch in diameter. If a flat piece is used for the stabilizingobject, it is also 25 inches long, and {fraction (7/16)}-inch wide, but{fraction (2/8)}-inch thick. The round and flat piece need to meet thisminimum dimension so they will not break easily if mishandled. Entailplacing slat pads 14 on all crib slats 12 on a crib 15; the total numberof crib slats 12 needed to comprise a typical crib is not shown in thepartial drawing 6A).

FIG. 1B shows that because of the width of the wider fastener 4 (i.e.VELCRO™), the slat pad 14 (FIG. 3) is a product that can be adjusted tofit on virtually any crib structure. While in use, the function of theslat pad 14 is to ensure the slat pad 14 will remain in a fixed,vertical position at all times, and thus, protect the occupant of acrib.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the variouspossibilities of using similar types of materials in the make-up of theslat pad 14, yet still remain within the scope of the invention. Forexample, in other embodiments, comparable material for the cover 1 ofthe slat pad 14 could be comprised of plastic, such as vinyl, or adifferent type of fabric, such as polyester, the inside of the cover 1could be padded 8 (FIG. 2B) with foam rubber or similar sponge-likematerial; the slat pad 14 could have a stabilizing object 9 to comprisethe entire cavity of the cover 1, and encompass the entire slat pad 14,instead of just one part (i.e. a stay or boning could be used, such asthe type of material used for support in an under wire bra); and a meansof fastening may be used, such as a zipper, or (less preferred) buttonsin addition to the previously mentioned narrow fastener 2 or widerfastener 4 (FIG. 1). The item that closes the area where the stabilizingobject 9 (FIG. 2B) is housed (i.e. elastic 6/snap 5 feature or flap thatis made out of cover 1 material) could also be an extra wide piece ofbias tape, which would serve the same function. The slat pad 14 could beelongated to cover more than one crib slat 12 (FIG. 5), with thestabilizing object 9 (FIG. 2B) inserted in front of every individualcrib slat 12 (FIG. 5) to ensure it remains in a fixed, upright position(there is no drawing of this example). The design of the cover 1 (FIG.3) could be changed to match the baby's bedding and/or nursery theme.The slat pad 14 could be used on cribs made out of metal, or any othertype of material. Many alternative materials in the marketplace could beused to obtain the main objective, which is to create a slat pad 14 thatwill securely pad a crib slat 12 (FIG. 5A), remain immovable around theslat 12, keep the slat pad 14 in a fixed, vertical position, and thus asafe environment for an infant or toddler while in the crib 15.

From the top of the crib slat 12 to the bottom, the slat pad 14 coversas much surface of the individual crib slat 12 as possible; thisincludes the space between the top of the mattress 13 surface, to thebottom of the mattress 13 and crib slat 12, which is novel. Because thisarea of the crib slat 12 (FIG. 5A) is protected, and because the slatpad 14 will rest on the lower horizontal railing 11 of the crib 15, anenterprising infant or toddler could not push the slat pad 14 down anyfurther to use it as a step to climb out of the crib 15. (See FIG. 5Aand 6A to view the slat pad 14 coverage).

To summarize, the present invention overcomes al safety issues raised inregard to bumper pads and the prior art. Children should always besupervised, but during those unavoidable times when they are left alonein the crib, parents and guardians can use this product knowing theirchildren will be protected.

I claim:
 1. A padded safety device for the individual vertical supportsof a crib or playpen that consists of: a cover made of soft materialthat has an internal and external side, with said internal side havingan enclosed hollow space; a soft resilient material that fills saidhollow space; a stabilizing object contained in said hollow space, suchthat said stabilizing object allows said padded safety device to remainin a fixed, upright position, while in use on said vertical supports;the ability to wrap around said vertical supports; a means to fastensaid padded safety device to itself; a length that reaches approximatelythe height of said vertical supports; a length that reaches the bottomof said vertical supports.